Secondary plant substances aka phytonutrients - the key to health
Plants are primarily interested in not being eaten by us or any other animal or insect. They also want to ward off bacteria and viruses to protect themselves. For these purposes, they produce effective substances that can often have positive health consequences for us if we eat the plant.
On this page you will find products whose main purpose is to have a positive effect via secondary plant substances. Products such as multivitamin supplements, where these are only added in small amounts, are not included here for the sake of clarity. This does not mean that they are any less useful, as many phytochemicals also have a synergistic effect with vitamins and minerals. This means that they complement each other ideally... Read more
Vitamin C with bioflavonoids, 120 tablets
Content: 0.126 Kilogramm (€269.84 / 1 Kilogramm)
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From 1€37.90€300.79 / 1 Kilogramm
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From 2€36.00€285.71 / 1 Kilogramm
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From 5€34.00€269.84 / 1 Kilogramm
Astamax 6 mg, 60 softgel capsules
Content: 0.051 Kilogramm (€580.39 / 1 Kilogramm)
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From 1€32.90€645.10 / 1 Kilogramm
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From 2€31.30€613.73 / 1 Kilogramm
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From 5€29.60€580.39 / 1 Kilogramm
Astamax 6 mg, 120 softgel capsules
Content: 0.103 Kilogramm (€524.27 / 1 Kilogramm)
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From 1€59.90€581.55 / 1 Kilogramm
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From 2€57.00€553.40 / 1 Kilogramm
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From 5€54.00€524.27 / 1 Kilogramm
Red clover extract, 90 capsules
Content: 0.05 Kilogramm (€590.00 / 1 Kilogramm)
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From 1€32.80€656.00 / 1 Kilogramm
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From 2€31.60€632.00 / 1 Kilogramm
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From 5€29.50€590.00 / 1 Kilogramm
Natural Beta Carotene Plus, 90 capsules
Content: 0.021 Kilogramm (€1,000.00 / 1 Kilogramm)
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From 1€23.90€1,138.10 / 1 Kilogramm
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From 2€22.00€1,047.62 / 1 Kilogramm
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From 5€21.00€1,000.00 / 1 Kilogramm
Immune Assist, 120 capsules
Content: 0.106 Kilogramm (€508.49 / 1 Kilogramm)
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From 1€59.90€565.09 / 1 Kilogramm
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From 2€56.90€536.79 / 1 Kilogramm
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From 5€53.90€508.49 / 1 Kilogramm
Vitamin C with bioflavonoids FOOD STATE
Content: 0.064 Kilogramm (€289.06 / 1 Kilogramm)
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From 1€20.50€320.31 / 1 Kilogramm
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From 2€19.50€304.69 / 1 Kilogramm
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From 5€18.50€289.06 / 1 Kilogramm
Vitaya oil with sea buckthorn carotenes, 50 ml
Content: 0.05 Liter (€360.00 / 1 Liter)
Our diet and the substances in food are divided into primary nutrients and secondary nutrients
Primary nutrients are familiar to everyone and easy to understand:
- Protein
- Fats
- Carbohydrates
Secondary plant substances are less easy to understand, very diverse and also indispensable for our health, even if they have not yet been fully researched.
Classification of secondary plant substances
Depending on the perspective from which you want to view these substances, they can be categorised differently, i.e. chemical group, appearance or taste, function for the plant, effect on our health...
A very good overview can be found in a nutritionally very qualified place, at the German Society for Nutrition:
Table 3 | Overview of secondary plant substances and their possible health-promoting effects
| Secondary plant substances | z. E.g. contained in ... | Importance for the plant | Possible health effects (mainly animal and in-vitro studies) | Influence on human health (epidemiological studies) |
| Flavonoids | Apples, pears, grapes, cherries, plums, soft fruit, onions, kale, aubergines, soya, black and green tea, etc. | Colouring agents (red, light yellow, blue, violet) |
|
Association with reduced risk of
|
| Phenolic acids | Coffee, tea, wholemeal products, white wine, nuts | Defence substances against predators |
|
Association with reduced risk of
|
| Carotenoids | Carrots, tomatoes, peppers, green vegetables (spinach, kale), grapefruit, apricots, melons, pumpkin | Colourings (yellow, orange, red) |
|
Association with reduced risk of
|
| Phytoestrogens | Cereals and pulses (e.g. soya beans), linseed | Plant hormones that are similar in structure to the female sex hormone oestrogen |
|
|
| Glucosinolates | all types of cabbage, radish, radish, cress, mustard | Defence substances against predators or pathogens |
|
Association with reduced risk of
|
| Sulphides | Onions, leeks, garlic, chives | Fragrances and flavourings |
|
Association with reduced risk of
|
| Monoterpenes | Mint, lemons, caraway | Fragrances and flavourings |
|
|
| Saponins | Pulses, soya, asparagus, oats, liquorice | Bitter substances (in aqueous solution: foaming effect) |
|
|
| Phytosterols | Nuts and plant seeds (sunflower seeds, sesame, soya), pulses | Membrane building material, plant hormones that are similar in structure to cholesterol |
|
|
(Source: Watzl and Rechkemmer 2004, Watzl 2008, Watzl 2012)
https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/fachinformationen/sekundaere-pflanzenstoffe-und-die-gesundheit/ retrieved on 13/02/2026
Intake of secondary plant substances
In our opinion, it goes without saying that these substances are best absorbed in their natural form. We are not among those who claim that a healthy diet is absolutely no longer possible and that you absolutely have to take supplements!
So a healthy wholefood diet, orientated towards the Mediterranean diet, with a high content of fresh fruit and vegetables, as raw as possible (where it makes sense, some secondary substances such as lycopene from tomatoes are better absorbed in cooked form).
Preferably from the organic shop, because today's intensive agriculture with its pesticides, fertilisers and short growing times produces plants that only have a low content of secondary substances.
However, there may be situations or circumstances in which the intake of extracts in the form of capsules and tablets can be useful, e.g:
- If you want to achieve something specific with a high dose of a substance. For example, the amount of broccoli whose active ingredients are contained in a capsule of broccoli extract cannot possibly be ingested via normal broccoli - you would have to eat it by the kilo every day!
- If you can't eat a wholesome diet from the organic food shop, e.g. because you work and don't have time to cook fresh food all the time, don't have the money to go to the organic food shop or simply - and this also exists and must be accepted - you simply don't feel like getting to grips with healthy eating and consciously eat what "just happens".
- If you can't eat everything due to illness, forexample, an allergy can radically exclude certain foods. Someone with an intestinal disease such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis will certainly agree that they cannot simply eat a large portion of cabbage or pulses without serious consequences!
For all these people, dietary supplements with phytochemicals can make a lot of sense!